A prairie romance told in episodic, lyrical chapters follows a young man who becomes enamored of a neighboring girl and grows jealous of a rival. Tensions erupt into a physical quarrel, then despair when the girl's family abruptly leaves after her father is pursued for stealing a horse. Determined to reunite, the suitor undertakes an earnest search across the plains, facing hardships and danger until events bring him back toward the family. Interwoven reflections on longing, honor, and frontier life culminate with a later chapter from the girl's perspective that explains motives and helps resolve the story.